<p>Hey guys, </p>
<pre><code>So I've had a few friends who are starting research projects that they have put into the science fair, for physics, math, etc. I want to be a researcher when I grow up, and I feel that I would really enjoy doing something like this [like the things the guys do at siemens and intel competitions]. And of course, it has the added perk of looking good on college applications.
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<p>But, the hardest thing is knowing where and when to start? How do I try to do something like this, or think up of ideas? I am clueless as to where to start research for this type of stuff. </p>
<p>Anybody who has entered these competitions, or just competed in a science fair, can you give me some advice? Thanks!</p>
<p>From,</p>
<p>AtharvaLarva</p>
<p>Think of the scientific method. You can observe a problem that you see in your everyday life. For example, “Why does water rise when I put ice in it?” Then, you research some data, and try to organize an experiment. “For this experiment, I’m going to have two cups. One with regular water, and one that I’m going to drop two cubes of ice into.” You can then, make a hypothesis. “If I drop this ice cube in this cup of water, then the water will rise 1.5x because…” A good hypothesis consists of an If, Then, and Because statement. Then, you must conduct your experiment, get results, and form a conclusion. You can then publish the results, if needed. You can do that with basically anything in day-to-day life!</p>
<p>It helps to try to focus on a field of science that particularly compels you. For instance, I’m highly interested in biomedical science and bioinformatics, so I’ve spent time reading papers concerning those fields. The more you read up on, say, mitochondrial DNA or mi-RNA, the easier it is to understand and think abstractly about it. A lot of times it is really hard to come up with a project idea, especially if you’re limited in terms of resources, lab space, etc. I have some friends that contacted university professors after coming up with a project idea so that they could use their labs. However, when it comes to emailing professors, I’ll warn you that it’s hard to get a good response. </p>